Tag Archives: Religion & Spirituality

When I was young I thought life was beautiful, that I was indestructible and had little to no fear of death. The faith I had in God was unshakable and my heart was always loving and forgiving as well. I recall a memory of when I had wrecked my bike into the back of a pickup truck, I split my nose in half from the impact and lip. My face was quite horrifying to see all sewn up. My brother being the little brat he was, he thought he would get me by making me look at my face in the mirror for the first time. my mother walked in as it was happening and thought I was going to freak, she was trying to say words to calm me etc. I glanced at my face in the mirror and with not even a thought I just shrugged it off saying to my mother “I am not worried about it mom, God will take care of me. I was so unafraid of the possibilities, I knew id be ok deep within myself. That is the kind of faith we as adults should have as well. Unfortunately as we grow older having such faith becomes harder to have.

Faith is a key component to our relationship with God, we must have trust in his promises and his love.

It seems even though humanity has advanced tremendously in the areas of science and technologies, we still seem as children when it comes to mental , spiritual and emotional growth. We still place blame and fault on external forces for the turmoil and destruction that we created ourselves. Blaming and pointing fingers never solves any issue, only enacting change in oneself and inspiring change in those around us is the only way to change the world we live in. Love, peace, understanding and compassion are like seeds, plant them they grow and then they bear fruit and seeds to spread themselves further. But things such as lust , greed and hate are similar they are like a virus, the quickly spread from person to person. The main difference is fruit nourishes the body, mind and soul when a virus corrupts and eats away at the body, mind and soul. We can choose to embrace which ever one we desire, but we must know the cost, consequence and reward of each. Good works will not get us to heaven alone, but they are a part of the journey. They are the path towards being the people who God created us to be. But just as the Bible tells us even the wicked do good things for their loved ones and family, so we must take it further. We must be compassionate, loving and kind people towards all things that live and breathe. Be they friend, family, enemy or undesirables. No man or woman is greater or lesser than another and therefore we should love one another unconditionally and without any hesitation.

The things most seek such as wealth, social status, physical beauty are all fleeting and in time shall be as the dust we came from. So what worth should we put upon such temporary things? On this earth there are many religions and many whom believe not in a God, the gift of freewill made this possible and it is the will of God that we have the choices to believe as we wish. So Spread the Gospel but respect the right of others not to believe or to believe different. Be at peace with everyone , even those you see as enemies. The compassion you show others will not be forgotten.

It is time for humanity to wake up from its spiritual sleep and become the great family that God intended it to be.

There are those that seek to control others with fear, they for some reason believe that instilling fear in others gives them power. The thing with fear is one can overcome it, learn to channel it and also learn to let it pass through them. The bible teaches us the only one and or thing we must fear is God. No man nor woman can destroy that which god has given you unless it be his will. So learn to replace the fear that other humans try to instill within you with faith in God and his promises. Whom shall you believe and whom shall you fear is solely your decision, God gave us that power when he gave all of us freewill.

Only God can take away your immortal soul, he is the only one that can give you access to heaven or deny you entrance as well. No man can take away the treasures you stow away in heaven, all a man or woman can do is take away the things of this earth. All things on and in this earth are temporary and no one or thing that is of this earth shall remain past their time allotted by God. So worry little over matters of the world and be as God desires, loving , forgiving and good examples of the children of God we have been created to be.

I walk the path of life as a believer in Christ, but I do not walk the path of life with hatred or prejudice. I believe in each persons right to believe in whichever God they wish and their right to believe in none. This is called freewill and freedom of thought, no man has a right to take away this from another. We can live in peace and learn to accept the differences in each of our beliefs. I do not see myself as greater nor lesser than any other human being therefore I see all of us as equals.

I also believe wisdom has no preference of where it comes from as long as it is utilized and shared. Great people have had great wisdom from many nationalities, religions,philosophies and genders. To reject wisdom based on its origin is foolishness disguised as principles and/or pride.

I am but a fool who seeks to be wise, yet in all my foolishness, I am wise enough to see I have plenty left to learn and that this journey has just begun. What wisdom I have, I try to share. but I am wise enough to know that I am often wrong. It’s all a part of the learning process within life.

I walk my path as I believe and I do so with an extended hand of friendship to all regardless of any differences that we may have.
Ray Barbier

When we are young we are invincible, unstoppable and foolishly ignorant of our mortality. But we also were full of undying faith and knew the joy of being children of god. As we grew older we had to face our mortality and the fact we are not the unstoppable or unmovable force we once believed. We begin to lose faith in this world and in our selves, and many lose their faith in God as well.

We can reestablish our faith in God and we can also leave the fear of our mortality behind us with such faith. We must constantly remind ourselves where our strength, blessings and wisdom comes from, not from ourselves but from God. We must learn to let go and let God take control, the Ego or Self tends to be resistant to letting God be the one to be in control.

Fear is the enemy, it causes doubt and drains the power of faith, love and it keeps us from happiness. Selfishness is an enemy as well, one can not serve ones self before serving God nor can they truly help others is they seek to satisfy themselves first. We can only serve one master at a time, and if that master is our own self we tend to neglect not only God but all the people who need us and love us as well.

Matthew 6:24
No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

2 Timothy 1:7For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

James 1:3Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

The fight between the selfish and selfless within is a battle that seems to be an everlasting one. One side looking out for its own self and its desires, wants and foolish idea of self-centered happiness and the other side seeing and embracing the connections between every living thing and beyond. The fact I am not the center of any universe, I am but a single strand of thread in the infinite tapestry of the universe and of life. I am no more important than any other strand nor am I any less important. I am a part of it all and the all is a part of me, thus there is no room for illusions that support selfishness or self centeredness.. Though the soul understands such things but the mind continues to separate itself from the whole by believing in such illusions such as the different classes of life and social differences which we invented to support both our superiority and inferiority complexes.

Even though we all are the same, this world is full of things that can lead one to believe otherwise. Such things as social status, wealth and power to name a few. Those things are just illusions created by our desire to be better or our fears of being less than other people. Failure and success is real but the illusion is that one is more or less capable or deserving of one or the other. To look down on a person is wrong and it is a sign of your own failure. to look up to someone is almost as bad because it belittles yourself, but it can also be positive in the sense you see that you need to improve yourself and grow spiritually.

Another day has dawned, another page has yet to be written. Another chance for change and growth as long as we don’t become ego stricken. We remember the lessons of our past actions and words so that we can avoid repeating our past mistakes. For each thought, action and word can change our course as well as raise the stakes. Each day is a gamble not a preplanned destiny or fate for us to be chained to. We are the captain of our body and mind and we choose the course we will travel through.

There are bumps in the road and potholes as well and even sometimes other people who can distract us or mislead us if we allow them to. We must keep in control and adjust course when external forces try to interfere or obstruct our way. Obstacles are but objects put there to help us gain experience and strength so worry not over them. Just deal with them and move on down the path you have chosen.

Don’t allow the woes and worries of life to influence your thoughts, emotions or behavior. To do so is to lose a part of who you are to their influence. Be true to yourself and be who you truly are without fear of rejection or ridicule. Better to be yourself and deal with the problems and perks of such than to be someone you’re not. I rather to be loved or liked by just one for being me than by thousands for being who I am not.

Try not to be judgmental of others, but if you must be then do it so with great compassion and understanding. For the way you judge others is how you shall be judged as well. Remember that not one human is perfect and that everyone else has the stresses of life and worries that are similar to your own. We all are a part of the world and the family of humanity. We all are faulty and we all have needs, wants and desires. but when it boils down to it we all want happiness, peace and a better world for the children of today and the children of tomorrow.

We may all have different religious beliefs, political views and personal opinions but they are not obstacles they are what makes us a diverse but resilient species. Our differences can be what makes us strong instead of what makes us weak and separate. Once we accept that each person has the right to choose in what they believe or not then we can move past our intolerance of each others differences. When that time comes humanity will finally be able to work together to make this world a wonderful place to live in.

Job 36:11 (KJV) “If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures.”

If we obey and serve God he shall grant us prosperity through our life. So we are told through obedience and Servitude is the path to prosperity. We are also told that God is pleased to see his servants in prosperity in Psalms

Psalms 35:27 (KJV) “Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the Lord be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.”

Thus we can conclude that God wants us to live in Happiness and Prosperity. But then what is prosperity in the bible, is it riches, jewels or is it simply being at a point in life where one needs for nothing such as food a home and health?

If you recall in the bible the rich were not celebrated, So I say that the prosperity God grants is more based on the needs of one to survive and live happily not that of wealth, power or possessions. Servants of God be that they be preacher,teacher,messenger or just a follower. should spread the message of the prosperity of God not of the prosperity of the wicked and foolish world.

Mathew 6: 19-20

19 “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.

Which Roughly means do not put faith in things that are of this world, they are temporary. Put faith in God and the things of his kingdom for they are forever..

Go beyond the barrier and see what is hidden from your view, open your eyes and see that which you have been blind too. Put away fear and uncertainty to make room for your hope and curiosity for they will serve you far better in life.Follow no man, philosophy or even religion blindly for you are responsible for your own actions and thoughts as well as the effect they may have on others. Better to doubt and be wrong than to follow blindly and be mislead or mistaken.

Like this:

Stop trying to rely on your own strength , learn to rely on that inner strength God provides you. It is a strength beyond the physical and mental strengths we cultivate and acquire through life. Remember where all your strengths come from, for they all originate from God. And be thankful for what you have as well as what you have had as well.

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Discalimer

The postings on this site are my own and do not represent K-VA-T food stores inc. (Food City) positions, strategies, or opinions.” The company required the disclaimer in connection with a related prohibition against an employee representing “any opinion or statement as the policy or view of K-VA-T food stores inc. (Food City) or of any individual in their capacity as an employee or otherwise on behalf of K-VA-T food stores inc. (Food City) .”